Tsurara
Retired DC OC Moru Tsurara is a white haired shrine maiden of the Toji Shrine located in the asian district of Gotham City. Not much else is known about her. Background Tsurara was born to Kosetsu and Yuki Moru in Gotham's Asian district. Both Kosetsu and Yuki are dedicated priests of the Shinto Toji shrine located there. Yuki is descended from a long-line of shinto priestesses, and is well schooled in the realm of the supernatural. Their ancestral family name is Yotogi, and they've been charged with watching, and worshipping, a specific set of "spirits" of the seasons. These "spirits" are actually magical repesentations of the surrounding environment- the family line judge the wellness of these creatures to determine whether an area might need a "spiritual cleanse", which essentially helps to reset the natural balance of an area. The Yotogi family line live worldwide, so that they can properly assess the state of the world's environment. Those born with Yotogi blood have a natural affinity to see these "spirits", and unless a person outside of the bloodline has strong occult abilities, they are unable to see them. Kosetsu is one such individual, born to a shrine maiden of Toji, and a long practitioner of the occult. Since he is able to see the same things as Yuki, their love bloomed. Tsurara was born in December, during a particularlly strong snowstorm. This snowstorm also birthed many snow- and frost-spirits, which Kosetsu took as a portent. That, and her fair features, led Kosestu to train her specifically in the realm of Winter-related rituals and spirits. This led to an isolated childhood, with most of her schooling occurring within the Shrine. Because of this, Tsurara is shy when meeting new people, and can be awkward in social situations. One winter, when Tsurara was young, a nasty snowstorm hit Gotham, covering it in feet of snow within a very short amount of time. She had been praying in one of the small temple rooms off of the main house without her parents knowledge, and was trapped inside. The powerlines nearby were downed, and she found herself in a dangerous situation- no heat and no real way to get to the main house. She sat with very little knowledge of how serious her situation was, waiting for someone to get her. As the storm progressed, a sense of childish helplessness pervaded, she started to cry. The room grew colder and colder, to the point that her fingers and toes showed the first signs of frostbite. /Something/ heard her cries, and Tsurara became aware of a spiritual presence in the room. It appeared as a puppy. The creature walked over to Tsurara, and laid its head in her lap to comfort her. She tried to run her hands through it's snow-white fur, but the creature was still spectral. Instead she took to staring at it's majesty; she discovered tiny feather-like ice crystals around the scruff of its neck and behind it's tall pointed ears. Tsurara became enamoured of the creature and it's gentleness towards her. As she slowly began to suffer from hypothermia, she heard a voice echo through her head. /Do you want to live?/ it asked, the voice sounding faint and far away. She nodded, wanting nothing more than to touch the creature. /Then let me protect you/. She felt a pain in her chest as a burning sensation spread from hip to shoulder. Looking down, she could see a swath of what looked like ice across her body. With the spread of this ice, she could feel an extra presence in her mind. Suddenly the cold didn't bother her, and she was able to touch the beast. It seemed to materalize and become solid- she could run her hands through it's thick fur, and feel the ice shards hidden near its skin. /We are as one/, it spoke to her, tongue lolling out of it's mouth. From that point on, they were inseperable. Tsurara had a difficult time explaining what had happened to her parents, but seeing she was alive and well, and that attempting to exorcise Hyouden caused Tsurara great pain, they eventually grew to accept the two of them. Kosetsu even grew to believe the two were fated to be together. Tsurara continued her training, and at the age of 13, began combat training with her fellow Shintoist, Kaoru Nakamura. During the Crisis, Tsurara stayed with Hyouden to protect the Shrine. She sent prayers to the being the "White Fox" who also helped protect the area. In the aftermath, she helped exorcise the areas that were tainted, and began her career as a professional exorcist. Recently, her childhood friend Kaoru returned to the Toji Shrine, grievously injured. While Kaoru explained how she recieved her injuries, it inspired Tsurara to pursue a righteous lifestyle. Personality Respect For All: Tsurara was raised as a Shinto Priestess, and the conceptthat all things have a spirit has been engrained in her. Especially since she can see and interact with these spirits, she has learned to respect everything, from objects to creatures to people. Purity: As a Priestess, Tsurara has to perform rituals to keep the areas around her purified. Due to this, she also keeps to a clean lifestyle; she abstains from consumption of animals, drugs and alcohol. Shy: Tsurara is shy when meeting new people, and even with people she knows she can be emotionally distant. She believes her only true friend is Hyouden, and she feels she can only truly be herself around him. Logs Gallery Category:DC Original Category:DC Hero Category:Gotham Category:DC Retired